Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:21 AM CST

Summer collegiate baseball is planning to return to Farmington in 2010 with the addition of an expansion franchise to the KIT League. The team will replace the Union City Greyhounds in the league.  Farmington had a team in the league from 2005-2008 known as the Firebirds, but the new franchise is not connected to those previous teams.

Ted Kapnick, a New York native, will own and operate the club. Kapnick is currently teaching in Prague, the Czech Republic, but plans to move to Farmington later this month and live full-time in the Parkland.

A graduate of the University of Oregon School of Journalism, Kapnick’s baseball background includes working as an intern for the Northwest and American Leagues while attending Oregon. In addition, he served as an assistant with the Czech Baseball Association helping to promote and sell the sport.

The name, colors, logo and additional information will be announced at a press conference to be held when Kapnick returns to the US.

"The team will offer affordable family fun with lots of promotions and in-game entertainment. Ticket prices will be kept low but the level of fun will be high..!!" (excerpt from an e-mail sent to the Daily Journal from Kapnick.

Kapnick is currently in discussion with the city to use Wilson-Rozier Park.

In addition to KIT League clubs, Kapnick is negotiating with teams from other summer collegiate leagues to play at Wilson-Rozier.

In March, a winter banquet is being planned to feature a speaker, prizes and dinner. More details will be announced later.

The KIT League is a summer collegiate wood-bat league comprised of clubs in Missouri and Kentucky. Players are from colleges all over the US and must have at least one year of eligibility left to compete.

In a phone conversation with league commissioner Randall Morgan, it was confirmed that plans for the team were already in process and scheduling is being put together at this time for the League.

“In the past, Farmington has been a good town for us to have a team, and we’re glad Mr. Kapnick, out of all the places he could have gone in the United States, chose Farmington and our league.” said Morgan.